AI Virtually Unwraps Herculaneum Scroll, Revealing 2,000-Year-Old Author’s Identity

Unlocking Ancient Wisdom: AI Reveals Hidden Text in 2,000-Year-Old Herculaneum Scroll

[Image: A partially unrolled Herculaneum scroll, showing its charred and fragile state. Caption: The Herculaneum scrolls, preserved by volcanic ash for millennia, are too fragile to physically unroll.]

The Herculaneum scrolls, buried by Mount Vesuvius’s eruption in AD 79, have long tantalized scholars. These ancient texts, written in carbon-based ink on papyrus, were carbonized by the volcanic blast, rendering them too fragile to unroll without destroying them. Now, a breakthrough using AI has revealed the title and author of one scroll, PHerc. 172, housed at Oxford’s Bodleian Library.

The Discovery
Researchers identified the text as On Vices by Philodemus, a Greek philosopher. The work offers insights into cultivating virtue, with the full title: On Vices and Their Opposite Virtues and In Whom They Are and About What. This marks the first time the title has been read in nearly 2,000 years. The team received the Vesuvius Challenge’s $60,000 prize for their achievement.

[Image: Digital reconstruction of the scroll’s text. Caption: AI analysis revealed the title hidden within the scroll’s innermost layers.]

How AI Unlocked the Secrets
Traditional methods to unroll the scrolls risked turning them to ash. Instead, researchers used advanced imaging:

1. X-ray scanning at the Diamond Light Source facility created 3D models.
2. AI algorithms detected subtle ink traces on the carbonized papyrus, “virtually unrolling” the scroll.
3. Collaborative analysis by global experts confirmed the text, including the title page buried deep within the layers.

Why Philodemus Matters
Philodemus (c. 110–30 BCE) was an Epicurean philosopher who emphasized pleasure as central to a virtuous life. His works, preserved in Herculaneum’s Villa of the Papyri, were likely part of a 10-book series. While On Vices was known from other fragments, this scroll may be a lost volume.

[Image: Portrait illustration of Philodemus. Caption: Philodemus’s works blend philosophy with practical advice on happiness and ethics.]

Historical Context
The Herculaneum scrolls were rediscovered in the 18th century, but early attempts to unroll them destroyed many. Over 1,800 scrolls survived, with recent advances in imaging offering new hope. In 2023, scans revealed Plato’s final writings in another scroll, detailing his critique of a musician’s “lack of rhythm.”

What’s Next?
While the scroll’s exact position in Philodemus’s series is debated (possibly Book 1 or 4), scholars are optimistic. “This is a leap forward in understanding ancient philosophy,” says Michael McOsker, a papyrology expert. Future scans could unlock more texts, reshaping our knowledge of antiquity.

[Image: 3D model of the Herculaneum villa ruins. Caption: The Villa of the Papyri, buried by Vesuvius, may still hold undiscovered texts.]

Conclusion
The fusion of AI and archaeology has breathed new life into the Herculaneum scrolls, proving that even the most fragile relics can yield their secrets. As technology advances, these ancient voices, silenced by disaster, may finally speak to us in full.

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